MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2026

Tommy Fleetwood

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We're pleased to be joined in the interview room by Tommy Fleetwood. Tommy, welcome back to Augusta National.

Tommy, can you share with us anything you've done differently in preparation for this year's Masters? Perhaps a special day of golf here last week.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Just before Valero -- I'm one of those I don't really get the opportunity to come here very often. With the way my travel schedule is, it's not like I get to play here a few times leading up to the Masters on off weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, Rob Johnson and Peter Doble hosted me and my two older boys, Oscar and Mo, so that was very special. I had a practice round, and I got a chance to play with my two oldest boys, which is -- I think it's -- I don't want to say you forget.

I think I'm always aware of how special Augusta National is and what a privilege it is just to be playing here, but watching the two boys, like a 19- and a 17-year-old, be -- they were pretty emotional on the 1st tee. Just watching that firsthand sort of gives you a bit of perspective and a reflection of just how special it is and how much I appreciate it.

That was very cool and memories that we'll always have.

Q. Following up on that, just watching that relationship with Oscar and Mo, and then also we're looking forward to Frankie tomorrow in the Par 3 Contest, and then rewinding back to last year, the breakthrough win, the TOUR Championship within the DP World India win where you got to share a hug with Frankie on the 18th green, how much does fatherhood impact the mental side of your game, whether it's the joy of experiencing those moments or also the burden of wanting to create those moments so you can share the joy of them?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: The biggest thing for me, I think it's the most motivating factor for me, to be the best I can be. When you have kids, you want to set the best example for them.

I guess my personality, like I'm not like an imposing figure, so I guess my way of sort of showing the way is kind of by example. I try and do it that way.

For sure there are a lot of -- there's achievements that you've had, that I've had since I was a kid and dreams and everything, and you turn them into moments really. That's kind of how I visualize them, like I visualize the moments. I don't really have any of those moments that don't involve my family being there to share it with.

In that sense, they are my biggest motivating factor for everything I do, and then being a parent is the best thing in the world. It just is. I enjoy -- they all love the game. It's funny because like my time away from golf like competitively, we'll probably end up playing golf with my kids, but it's like a massive switch-off for me because I don't care then, I don't care how I play. I just watch those and enjoy it. So there's a lot that goes on. But for sure, being a parent is the best thing ever.

Q. How good did they play, and has either ever beat you?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Mo claims he's beat me, but like it's a very debatable one. I don't think he can claim it, but he does.

They played pretty well. It was funny how -- again, like you forget these things. I'm teeing it up at Augusta with no pressure or anything. Like I was just happy to be playing. I could have shot 150 and not really cared. It was just a joy to be out there.

But watching them, they're really nervous about playing. Like I said, it's funny watching that experience. They played pretty good. Again, you see people playing it for the first time, and then maybe you see things that you've learned along the way, like watch how they would play the golf, they would hit some good shots that end up in tricky spots.

So you're watching them hit a putt, and I think that's where experience does play a part around this golf course. You see guys that are really, really good around here.

Yeah, they played okay. No, they haven't beat me yet, but if you asked Mo at least, he would claim that he has.

Q. Can you describe what makes the second shot into the 3rd green so difficult and where it ranks in terms of difficulty in the second shots on this course?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: There's been a lot of talk about the 3rd hole this week. In general, it's the -- I still -- I think it's great that I always think that holes are great when there's a debate on strategy and how to play them, and I think the 3rd hole is really well discussed about.

The raise to the green, the green's very, very high, high up, especially for a short pitch shot, and the margin for error is very, very small. Of course you have the back right pins, they have like a bit of margin for error, and at least you have a bit of room where you can play it and use the greens to your advantage. But if you throw that pin front right or especially over on the front left, it's just so difficult to get it anywhere near, no matter where you are.

A full wedge shot is probably the easiest way to get it close, but at the same time, you're 120 yards back instead of 40, and you're still probably playing a little bit defensive from there.

So I think it's just how difficult it is from those pins to get it anywhere near, and at the same time, if you're close to the green, it's difficult to play defensive because you're that close to the green. It's just for sure I think this is the first year I've seen so much talk about the 3rd hole, but when there's so much discussion about a hole and it's a short hole, I think that's always a positive reflection on how the hole is designed and how it plays.

Q. I'll cut to the chase. What would it mean to you personally to win your very first major title here at Augusta?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It would be very special. There's no doubt for everybody that plays the game, winning a Masters, whether it be walking up the 18th, holing a putt on the 18th green, the moment you have the jacket put upon you -- you can rattle them off. I think it's on such a mantelpiece in people's career and how they view it, and it's so easy to create like those moments in your mind because we watch it every year.

We've watched some of the best shots of all time here on the back nine of Augusta over the last however many years, and you can relate to that because you kind of feel like you know it. Whether you've played here or not, you feel like you know so much about it.

Yeah, it would be unbelievably special. I try to -- you always know that how much you want it is there in the background. So I try to let that be a thing and then just focus on what I'm doing at the time.

I would love to be there late on Sunday in with a chance. Those juices flowing on the back nine of Augusta, I think, is probably -- like 2024 I was very much on the outskirts. That's the best finish I've had. I finished third, but Scottie was a long way in front. I was never really in contention. I was having a great week, and I wanted to finish as strong as I could.

But I've never had that joy yet of playing on the back nine with a chance to win the Masters. Yeah, I'd really love that so much.

Q. How has your experience here changed in terms of managing your energy? I guess to what extent were the things that you did in your early tournament days here that maybe you changed over time, you learned from experience of how to kind of manage your energy better?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I guess you start to learn sort of places that you hit it more often than not. I think that makes it easier to practice on the course because I still think -- like I was out there on the front nine yesterday, and you just never feel like you've hit enough golf shots on this golf course. Like you want to hit a chip from over there. I need to hit that putt because it does this.

There's always something about every hole or the course when you're playing that you want to do that little bit more. I think you learn to accept that you're not going to do everything, but you know certain aspects of the course and what they require and how you can practice that.

I think that I've -- probably more so over the last two or three years, I've figured out ways or how you can use the range in the short game area to match the course in a way. I think there's a lot of things that you can do on there. So I probably do that better.

I think over time you just learn to accept that you do have experience around there, so you do have some knowledge to go on when you're out there. But you just learn that you can't do everything in the practice rounds. There's always the course makes you feel like you want to do more, and it's doing the right amount of things and going from there.

Q. As it relates to ancillary things, not just on the practice rounds, like things you maybe try to jam everything in because it's such a different and special week, are there elements of that that you've --

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I think I enjoy being around the place, like I love that, but no, I love how much my family loves it. They probably do everything for me. They experience it all for me.

No, I come here, and I think I'm at that point where I just want to do everything to give myself the best chance of winning, and I know that's what I need to do. Everything that I do, I sort of have in mind like I'm here to try to give myself the best chance -- again, like I say -- being there on Sunday with a chance to win the Masters and seeing if that moment can happen. That's how I go about it.

I love that just as much as roaming around the place and enjoying everything else.

Q. What's your earliest Masters memory? Then can you recall the moment where you first thought "I could win this one day" and you perhaps started visualizing it?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: My earliest Masters memory, I actually genuinely think it was probably -- I do vaguely feel like I remember the '96 Masters a little bit. I think I came home from school Thursday or Friday, and we had the Masters on TV, and my dad was like this Tiger Woods guy is going to be unbelievable. I do literally remember that moment.

So I remember that. I remember the '97 one. That was my first memory.

My first Masters was 2017. I came to watch in 2014 for a couple of days. I managed to get a ticket, and I came to watch thinking that -- I know a lot of people would say the first time they want to come to Augusta is when they would be playing in the Masters, but for me I felt like it would be -- I was a young player dreaming of playing in the Masters, and I felt like it would be part motivation for me and part like I would get to see it before I came.

It was more I remember walking around, and you get to the back of the 12th tee, and that's as far as you can go as a patron, can't go any further. And I'm watching these players go play and walk over the bridge to 13 and then teeing off on 13, and I was like, I want to go there. That's where I want to be.

I think that became my thing about playing in the Masters. When I play, I get to go and get to the 12th green and the 13th tee. So that was like my -- sort of my biggest motivation in a way. I never even contemplated at the time winning it.

It's just I always think of course we dream of winning the Masters, like we do. I can picture that for sure, but it was more -- it genuinely was more about like playing the 12th and 13th hole than anything else.

Q. Bag setup this week, anything special at the top of the bag? And is there any holes in particular that are driving the decisions around the bag setup?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's a great 9-wood golf course. I think it's always been -- I can't remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it's a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I've had that in the bag for a few years.

No, the bag setup stayed the same really. So the way that I do set it up actually works very well for Augusta, so that's great.

Yeah, it's funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don't necessarily think that's always the play for me. I think there's holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I'm feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.

The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it -- for me, I can't really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.

Q. I'm wondering what your conversations have been like with Frankie as he preps for tomorrow, and then if, like, encouraging him has kind of helped your own mindset this week?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, he's over there. He's sat over there in the corner. We've had conversations. Frankie is very set on what he's doing. He's very excited, and he knows what he's doing.

I always say one of the most special things about the Masters is for us as players, like to have something so big in your career, like playing the Masters or even like trying to win the Masters, having something so unique as something that's so special for the family right before it on a Wednesday, I just think is amazing. I think it's one of the most special things about the week.

Yeah, we talk about it all the time. I just love the fact that we spoke -- this is my 10th Masters, and except for the first one where he wasn't born yet, he's been at every one. I just think, if you're lucky enough to do what I have, there's a lot of players, Justin is playing his 20th, there's so many players here that have played in so many Masters, but Frankie's growing up. Every year you see him get that little bit older at the Masters.

I think more than anything the pressure is on me to keep making the Masters until he reaches the green on the 9th.

Q. Just taking you a bit away from golf, what's happening back at home, which is your home as well, for the last three, four years, so many students of Tommy Fleetwood Academy, staff, friends, your sponsor, whatever issues they're facing over there, how difficult is it for you to keep that out of your mind this week and not get caught up by that on the golf course?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's a good question. I'm lucky that my family are with me this week. I think it's difficult. You can only sort of, I guess, go on your personal experiences of whatever is going on and not get caught up in the bigger picture of things that are out of your control and whatever is going on in the world.

I think the main thing is hoping that everybody is always safe, and that's the main thing, whether that be family, friends, whatever is going on, students, whatever that is. I think we have no impact on what is going on in the world at any given time, but you just hope that anyone that is close to you or associated with you or anybody in general is safe, that's the main thing, and there's nothing more you can do about that.

Q. Sort of a strange question for you, but do you feel like you've learned more from your own sort of failures and struggles around this golf course or from witnessing sort of other players like Rory and Scottie have success here?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: That's a great question. Probably both. I think you probably always learn more from your own experiences, getting shots wrong, if you like. I think you learn more from your own experiences, but one of the great things about the tournament being at the same place all the time is that you get to watch a lot of shots, so you always have those experiences to go on as well.

So I think you have like a huge accumulation of experiences from everyone and knowledge that you can put into playing your own Masters. For sure, like you learn the most about doing it yourself and playing yourself, but Masters are you can watch every single shot from every tournament if you want and learn from that as well.

There's just a heap of knowledge there for you to best prepare if you can.

Q. Was there a moment where you said, okay, can't do that again?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I mean, there's a lot of things that -- there's a lot of shots that Rory hits that I know I can't do. Yeah, for sure, like my first Masters, the first round I made a ton of mistakes, and I remember that was a big learning curve. I think you still do. You're learning all the time. You really, really are. No matter how many times you've played this golf course or how many times you've played the tournament, I think you always learn something new when you're playing.

You definitely start to understand the golf course can give a little but it can take away a lot as well. Knowing how to accept that and knowing how to be patient and play the right shots comes with getting certain shots wrong, whether that be hitting shots into par-5s, going for it at the wrong time, hitting a tee shot in a different spot, trying to be too aggressive if you're out of position, things like that. There's a lot that comes with just playing and doing that and learning.

Q. We all have associations with Amen Corner and the emotions that those three holes evoke. I'm just wondering, in your own words, how would you describe Amen Corner and its role that it plays here at Augusta National?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: First of all, it's probably one of the most special places in golf. I think everybody just has such a respect for playing it and a joy for it. There's an absolute truth in it. It's won and lost a lot of tournaments for a lot of people, Amen Corner.

It's a good question on how to describe it. I just think -- it's funny really. It's hard to -- you don't often get to places and associate just a certain part of a golf course like having its own little piece. I guess for a lot of people front nine, back nine. I play a lot of three-hole matches with myself. And of course there's stretches of golf at places that are different.

But to have like a little piece, you look back at your own and you go, well, this is what I did at Amen Corner, and I played Amen Corner in this way. So that's pretty unique.

I think overall, like, just looking at the tournament and going, it's some of the best holes in golf and such a special place.

Q. The Masters tracks every single practice ball you guys are hitting this week and the public can see it. Just curious from your perspective what the rest of us should be paying attention to and maybe learning from you guys?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Great question. I want to watch. I'd probably have a look at what people are practicing and try to learn from that. I think it's everybody will be doing something different, I guess.

I would definitely be interested to see -- I think I know last year, it was Bryson or Jose that hit the most balls, right? I actually love watching a good shot tracker and watching who hits the most.

It would be interesting who -- I guess at the end of the week, like as a player, I would want to look at the end of the week, who hit the most, who hit the least, who might have been searching for something, who felt good, what were people's routines or how they did it, and see like where they finished, like if there was a correlation between what was successful and what was not. Like I would definitely benefit from looking at that.

I would be interested to see what kind of shots people hit on the range. Like I think this week it's a great week where you can play the course on the range. You know the shots. You know the tee shots. You can visualize it on the range. The range is kind of set up for that. You have some different slopes and undulations around the short game area. So there's a lot you can do with that.

Yeah, I would definitely be -- that's a good question. I'm probably learning on the spot with you as well, but I think at the end of the week, I would be really interested to track everyone and see if there's a correlation in something, with success and not success with how they practiced.

Q. Where will be your favorite pro shop you visit this year and the coolest apparel you found?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: My family are the ones that go to the merch a lot more than I do. I think, I honestly think the Augusta pro shop is one of the best pro shops in golf. I think it's so cool just wandering around there. I think it's -- yeah, it's really, really cool.

There have been some purchases so far, but in general the week goes that way. You think you've done it all on a Monday, but we pick something up every day. It's a constant feed of going for a little shop and finding something in there.